US Supreme Court Renders a Judgment
Supreme Court overturns ‘Chevron deference’
The StaffJuly 9, 2024
The Supreme Court’s June 28 decision to overturn so-called “Chevron deference” in a landmark case will restrict the ability of government regulators to act outside of Congressional or federal judiciary oversight, likely altering the scope and power of regulations impacting motorcyclists, from off-highway access to the right to repair.
Dating to a 1984 Supreme Court decision, Chevron’s deference referred to the directive that federal courts accept the judgment of regulators regarding relevant law and resulting regulations. (Photo: AMA, U.S. Supreme Court)
Dating to a 1984 Supreme Court decision, Chevron’s deference referred to the directive that federal courts accept regulators’ judgments regarding relevant law and resulting regulations. This made challenging rules, such as land closures impacting motorcyclists, difficult in the courts.
“Overturning the Chevron deference makes it much harder for the executive branch to implement onerous or misguided regulations,” says Nick Haris, AMA director of government relations. “The list of bureaucratic fumbles affecting motorcyclists is long, from the Department of Health and Human Services flipping Congressional intent in the 2000s, paving the way for health insurance discrimination of motorcyclists, to the more recent ‘lead law’ interpretation that temporarily outlawed youth off-highway vehicles. Working with Congress, the AMA defeated both dangerous decisions, but it took years of work and significant resources.”
“In a post-Chevron world, we anticipate having more leeway to fight, but we are also cautious that the road ahead is largely unknown. We will continue to monitor the effects of this decision and update AMA members on how it will impact them in the future.”
Nick Haris, AMA director of government relation